It could be a scam or spam—especially if someone contacts you unsolicited, pressures you, or asks for money or an advance payment. Don’t click on links, open attachments, or share sensitive information. If you’re unsure, please contact us.
You can find more information and recent examples on the Startnext Phishing Radar.
How can I spot suspicious financing offers?
1) Sender & Contact Information
- Legitimate emails from Startnext come exclusively from addresses ending in @startnext.com.
- Be wary of senders using gmail.com (or similar free email domains) or slightly altered domains.
- Genuine messages usually include your name and specific project details. If these are missing, that’s a red flag.
2) Content-related warning signs
- “Too good to be true” (extremely large sums, quick approvals without verification)
- Unnatural language/grammar, generic text, missing signature
- Time pressure, threats, or “act now”
3) Requests for data or documents
- Please do not send copies of your ID, credit card information, passwords, TANs, or company documents to unknown senders.
- Be wary if you receive “pre-drafted” contracts that you’re simply asked to sign.
4) Prepayment & Payment Requests
This is a very common scam tactic:
- You are first asked to transfer money (supposedly for fees, insurance, or transaction costs) so that a “loan” or investment can be paid out afterward.
- Particularly suspicious: payment requests via "PayPal to Friends/Family" or to unknown accounts.
What should you do?
- 1Do not click, do not reply (do not open any links or attachments, do not use any callback links).
- 2Check the sender (domain, spelling, and whether it ends in @startnext.com).
- 3Pay nothing, share nothing (no sensitive data).
- 4If you'd like, please forward the message to [email protected] or use our contact form.
Important
Even if the offer seems “professional”: Scammers often mimic the design, tone, and names of real companies. When in doubt, trust your gut and it’s better to be safe than sorry.